Summary

In the past 40 years, many Protestant communions have recovered a robust, historically-oriented prayer of thanksgiving at celebrations of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

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Details

Nearly every official denominational liturgical publication has featured strong examples of this practice. Yet thousands of local congregations do not practice this for a variety of reasons, including concern over the length of the service, and—quite likely—not really understanding the spiritually formative power of this practice for the daily life and faith of Christian believers. This session will feature a robust testimony about the value of this ancient practice, deeply rooted in the Psalms, and present flexible and creative ideas for local communities in a variety of contexts to embrace this practice. 

Recent Media Resources

Psalms We Love to Sing

Modern song writers are continually setting the psalms to new music for band-led worship contexts. Join Paul Ryan, Nate Glasper, and the Calvin University Worship Apprentices to sing contemporary psalm settings sung in public worship at Calvin. 

August 7, 2026 | 85 min video
My Soul Speaks Out to the Living God

Join this excursion through compositional method, use of text, melodic creation, vocal range, and inner insights. The session includes the presentation of new psalm settings by Rawn Harbor.

August 7, 2026 | 90 min video
My Own Beloved Psalm: A History of the Interpretation of Psalm 118

Martin Luther frequently called Psalm 118 as his “own beloved psalm,” describing it as a “friend who helped [him] out of many troubles.” This session provides a history of the interpretation of this beloved psalm by looking at the readings of Ambrose, Augustine, Theodoret of Cyrus, Cassiodorus, Luther, and Calvin.

August 7, 2026 | 77 min video